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Why You Should See "Autonomous Vehicles" at Sara Nightingale Gallery

“Autonomous vehicles,” a new exhibit at the Sara Nightingale Gallery, sheds light on the relationship between human beings and their inventions.

Wolf in Red Boots, Yuliya Lanina, 2015.

The Sara Nightingale Gallery “aims to be current and relevant while also taking risks,” declares owner Sara Nightingale, and she’s certainly demonstrating that with her thought-provoking new exhibition “Autonomous Vehicles.” “The phrase ‘autonomous vehicles’ is so loaded with metaphorical implications,” she says. “What is autonomy? Who has it? How will we as a society transition into abdicating our responsibilities and freedom to machines? And if we’re creating and operating the machines, then who is ultimately in control?” The exhibit aims to address these questions through works by artists such as Perry Burns, who examines the effects of social media on society; Yuliya Lanina, who explores the invasion of privacy associated with tools such as cloud computing; and E. Adam Attia, who photographs his urban “interventions,” such as posting false signs warning against drones, to “emphasize the relationship between an individual’s identity and the information they consume,” Nightingale explains. The exhibit will also feature work from local artists Scott Bluedorn, Cara Enteles, Christian Little, Alexis Martino, Scott Sandell, Christa Maiwald, and Evan Yee that focuses on similar issues at the nexus of technology and society. “Autonomous Vehicles,” says Nightingale, “is a chance to evaluate who is in control—God, humans, political systems, or machines—and what percentage each plays in our collective and individual destinies.” “Autonomous Vehicles” will be on display from August 23 through September 14 at the Sara Nightingale Gallery, 688 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, 793-2256